Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Caucus

The Mission of the LGBT caucus is to advocate for and legitimatize a place for the recognition of the aspect of diversity represented by the presence of LGBT individuals in the CSU system. To recognize that LGBT individuals come from all communities and that many LGBT individuals will not be “out” in their workplace; this does not diminish these individuals’ need for the same protections. The caucus works towards a CSU which provides a safe environment for all members of the CSU community and fosters scholarship in issues relating to LGBT life and issues.

This conference, which will be held May 4 at CSU Stanislaus, will bring together the local and regional transgender and gender-nonconforming community and their allies for education, advocacy and community building.

There also will be a special focus on the ethnic diversity of the region.

As a prospective student, it’s your job to find a college where you can thrive. This is particularly important for those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ). Additionally, not all universities create supportive environments for students who identify as intersex, pansexual, asexual, questioning or have a non-conforming gender identity. College is challenging and expensive for everyone, but if you’re LGBTQ, the campus climate can make– or break– your experience.

Out in the Union tells the continuous story of queer American workers from the mid-1960s through 2013. Miriam Frank shrewdly chronicles the evolution of labor politics with queer activism and identity formation, showing how unions began affirming the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender workers in the 1970s and 1980s. She documents coming out on the job and in the union as well as issues of discrimination and harassment, and the creation of alliances between unions and LGBT communities.

Scott Saarheim of the Maritime Academy is heading to Washington DC next week to represent CFA at the 20th Anniversary celebration of Pride at Work.

The anniversary will honor the founders of Pride at Work as well as soon-to-retire California Congressman George Miller, among others.

Pride at Work advocates for the rights of LGBT working people. CFA was specially invited, Saarheim points out, “because of the CFA LGBT caucus’s work on LGBT rights as workers and in higher education.”

Below is a letter from Pride at Work to CFA. LGBT Caucus Co-Chair, Scott Saarheim, will be attending the ‘Celebrating Solidarity’ event.

We appreciate your support of Pride at Work and the LGBT Labor Leadership Initiative for our past “Celebrating Solidarity” events. This year – our 20th year working hard for LGBT labor and our allies – we have more to celebrate than ever! From marriage equality sweeping the nation to several international unions adopting pro-LGBT platforms and policies, equality is on the march with the support of the labor movement.

South Carolina’s House of Representatives Monday approved a funding cut of nearly $70,000 to two state colleges that included LGBT subject matter in their freshman reading curriculum, reports the Human Rights Campaign.

Research by The Williams Institute has found that LGBT communities and those in same sex couples, particularly those raising children, experienced disproportionate levels of food insecurity and higher participation rates in the government’s food assistance program.

The Safe Zone Ally training manual is a resource and tool of the CSULB Safe Zone Program, and is designed to be used as a complete training program or a general guideline for LGBTQ ally trainings throughout the 23-campus CSU system.

The program aids in the CSU’s effort to advocate for marginalized groups and on issues of diversity, and further fosters and encourages awareness and sensitivity related to LGBTQ issues, both on campus and in the community.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Jerry Brown today signed the historic School Success and Opportunity Act into law, ensuring transgender youth have the opportunity to fully participate and succeed in schools across the state.

Assembly Bill 1266, which will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2014, was authored by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano and passed the California State Senate and Assembly earlier this summer.

A deeply divided Supreme Court nudged the nation toward broad recognition of same-sex marriage on Wednesday in rulings that advocates hailed as a “joyous occasion” — but still left many questions unanswered.

Voting 5-4 in each of two decisions, justices threw out part of a law that denied hundreds of federal benefits to same-sex couples and cleared the way for gays and lesbians to once again marry in California.